Oxidizing foam solution and method of using the same



Patented Jan. 15, 1946 "it": FOAIW SOLUTION AND METHOD OF USING S rationof New Jersey Application July 2, 1,942;

No Drawing.

Serial No. 449,520

8 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in methods for ate-contaminatingrestricted areas which have been subjected to warfare chemicals, as inthe case of a. gas attack, and the product.

An object of this invention is to provide a novel oxidizing foamproducing solution capable of being formed into a cloud or blanket offoam for the purpose of covering a restricted area which has beensubjected to poison gases, solutions or solids and the like for thepurpose of blanketing those areas and oxidizing the poisonous gases,solutionsor solids to an innocuous condition.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a novel method ofde-contaminating restricted areas over which a poisonous gas, solutionor solid has been spread by the application thereover of a dense typeblanket of foam having mixed therein an oxidizing or other agent capableof oxidizing, neutralizing or otherwise destroying the harmful characterof the poisonous material.

Other and more specific objects of this invention will become apparentfrom the following description thereof.

This invention resides substantially in the combinations of materialsand the steps and series of steps all as detailed in the followingspecification and defined in the appended claims.

As this description goes forward, it will become apparent that thesubject matter of the invention is applicable in de-contamination workirrespective of the types of poisonous chemicals to be ren-, deredinnocuous. In chemical warfare the polsonous materials are employed invarious forms, as for example gases, liquids or solids, and are employedto produce various forms of distress in persons coming in contacttherewith. Of the various warfare chemicals employed, the veslcantgases, such as mustard gas, are difilcult to dispose of. Mustard gas isrelatively heavy and tends to fall to the ground and condense onsurrounding objects. This is a characteristlc of other dangerous warfarechemicals advantage of which is.

taken by this invention. With respect to mustard gas the most approvedmethod of rendering it harmless at the present time is to spreadbleaching powder over the contaminated surface and then by carefulmechanical manipulation to scrape it up in piles and cart it away. Thebleaching powder oxidizes mustard gas to more or less harmless products.It is apparent, however,

that this is a crude method of de-contamlnating inflic ed areas inaddition to which it is, of course, a se uce of possible injury to thede-contaminaior. workers.

in accordance with the concept of this invention, it is proposed toincorporate the neutralizing agent, as for example an oxidizingcompound, in a thick, dense. heavy blanket of foam forming materialswhich may be sprayed or otherwise spread over a contaminated area. Such'a blanket excludes the air from contact with the mustard gas; preventsthe evaporation of the mustard gas from the contaminated areas and putsa protective coating over them which minimizes the possibility ofcontact therewith.

Another very important advantage of this procedure is that the wetblanket oi foam produces an efiective contact between its containedneutralizlng or oxidizing agent and the gas or other chemical to bereacted therewith. The result is that the poisonous material is morequickly, effectively and completely neutralized, oxidized or otherwiserendered harmless. Since foams of this type commonly contain wetting orspreading agents, the contained neutralizing or oxidizing compounds inthe foam are effectively spread over the material to bedie-contaminated. This is a particular advantage in the case ofpoisonous materials such as mustard gas which is oily and therefore isdifilcult to bring into intimate contact with the oxidizing agent. It isapparent that this method is much more efiectlve than that of spreadingbleaching powder which is in contact with the poisonous materials in theform of small particles and thus has a limited action. Likewisebleaching powder, unless very thickly spread over the contaminated area,has no blanketlng eflect.

A still further object of the invention is found in the fact that theblanketed area gives a visible indication of'the presence of thepersistent form of the areas which have been treated.

An additional advantage of the invention is found in the tact that theblanket follows the contours of the ground and goes down into crevicesand other depressions so as to contact with poisonous materials whichhave settled therein. Of course, it is again noted for emphap sis thatone of the most important advantages of the invention is the fact thatsuch a blanket prevents the poisonous material from reaching theatmosphere and injuring persons in the viclnity as well as the operatorsof the de-contaminatlon equipment.

It will be apparent that the novelty of this invention does not residein the Specific elements of the foam forming solution or in the specificneutralizing or oxidizing compounds employed. However, several examplesof suitable solutions will be set Earth for the salts of completeness.

A suitable foaming mntture consists of a wamr paste, a stable proteindegradation product to act as an emulsion stabilizer and various otheringredients with which we have no particular concern here, such as thosecommonly employed to prevent corrosion, to control the viscosity of thefoam, to prevent its freezing and to minimize putrefaction of thecontained protein. Such a foaming solution can be used with either freshwater or sea water. Another suitable foaming sotion would be the same asthat set forth above with the exception that in place of sulfated laurylalcohol a mixture of potassium, triethanolamine, and morpholine lauratescan be used. This foaming solution can only be used in admixture withfresh water or hard water. However, this second foaming solution canalso be used with a suitable quantity of sulfated lauryl alcohol to slstfor considerable periods of time.

Any suitable neutralizing or oxidizing compound may be mixed with thefoam forming solution prior to the formation of the foam, such asfor-example sodium chlorite, NaClOz; a liquid bleach such as Javellewater, NaOCl; the bleaching powder having the approximate compositionCaCl(OCl); or calcium hypochlorite, Ca(ClO 2. A suitable quantity ofsuch an agent is mixed into cium hypoehlorite 62.5 Bleaching powdercontaining 36% of active chlorine 45.1 Water 1250.0

After filtering this solution may be aspirated as before to provide asuitable blanket over a contaminated area. Of course, sodiumhypochlorlte can be used in the above formula in place of the the foamforming solution in the proper proportion. The following are afewexamples of the final solution with the proportions of theingredients as indicated by way of example:

. Grams Foam solution 62.5 10% technical sodium chlorite solution 125.0Wate I 1250.0

When a solution of this type is aspirated and ejected through a nozzleit issues in the form of acid will be suitable.

Another suitablesolutlon consists of Grams Foam forming solution 62.5Javelle water containing about 15% available chlorine 108.5

Water 1250.0

when such a solution, is aspirated and elected through a nozzle it givescopious quantities of foam and liberates considerable quantities ofchlorine over relatively long periods of time.

calcium hypochlorite.

It is likewise again emphasized that other suitable compounds areavailable to be substituted for the exidizing agents herein disclosed.We do not, therefore, desire to be strictly limited to the details ofthis disclosure but rather to the scope area a dense persistent blanketof foam having an oxidizing agent distributed therein.

3. A method of de-contaminating an area upon which a poisonous substancehas been spread which comprises forming and spreading over said area adense persistent blanket of foam having a hypochlorite distributedtherein.

4. A method of de-contaminating an area upon which a poisonous substancehas been spread which comprises forming and spreading over said area adense persistent blanket of foam having a chlorite distributed therein.

5. A method of de-ccntaminating an area over which a poisonous chemicalhas been spread which comprises aspirating a mixture of a foam formingsolution and a neutralizing agent to cause the mixture to foam andspreading the foam in the form of a. blanket over said area.

6. A method of de-contaminating an area over which a poisonous chemicalhas been spread which comprises aspirating a mixture of a foam formingsolution and an oxidizing agent to cause the mixture to foam andspreading the foam in the form of a blanket over said area.

"I. A method of de-contaminating an area over .which a poisonouschemical has been spread which comprises aspirating a mixture of a foamforming solution and a hypochlorlte to cause the mixture to foam andspreading the foam in the form of a blanket over said area.

8. A method of de-contaminating an area over which a poisonous chemicalhas been spread which comprises aspirating a mixture of a foam formingsolution and a bleaching agent to cause the mixture to foam andspreading the foam in the form of a blanket over said area.

HARRY E. MA'I'IIN. LEWIS G. M. TIMPSON.

